“As the plane landed at Szczecin Airport, my heart filled with excitement and anxiety. I was excited to embark on my long-awaited exchange journey, while anxious to face the unfamiliar environment and other challenges.
Choosing Szczecin to learn German surprised many of my relatives and friends, as the official language here is Polish despite its proximity to the German border. At first, daily tasks like ordering meals or communicating with dorm staff were challenges for me, that I could only use translation apps or body language. Later, through guidance from seniors and website, I gradually learned how to navigate trams, use supermarket labeling machines, handle accommodation payments and solve other problems in life.
In Szczecin University, German-dominated lectures revealed stark gaps in my language preparedness. Teachers’ rapid speaking speed and numerous terminologies left me adrift. I felt embarrassed when communicating with Polish classmates with my unpracticed German. I realized that learning German was a long and difficult process.
However, the academic journey was also full of warmth and pleasure. My grammar professor, reminiscent of textbook illustrations with her green suits and chestnut curls, patiently demystifies linguistic complexities. The reading professor, always braided her hair and sat on the lectern table relaxedly. The literature professor would adjust her pace when noticing our confused expressions. Additionally, collaborative activities like Christmas party and German theater trips not only increased my German knowledge, but also promote my friendship with my classmates. One of the few pressures in learning may be the quiz before each grammar lecture, Q&A sessions, and the presentations towards the Polish classmates.
Apart from studying in university, life in Poland was also a unique experience. Confronted with unfamiliar Western cuisine and perplexing fruit-filled pierogi – a stark contrast to Chinese food – my roommates and I determined to kitchen by ourselves to reconcile taste preferences and save money. We planned our menu after class and went to supermarket to buy vegetable, meat, and dairy products. Gradually I mastered cooking skills to make familiar Chinese flavors, such as scrambled eggs with tomatoes, sauteed potatoes with green pepper and eggplants, garlic and eggplant pot, oyster sauce lettuce, omelet rice, Taiwan style rice with stewed pork, etc., everyday dinner becoming an expectation for us. Cooking by myself not only solved my eating problem, but also gave me a sense of self-sufficiency.
During holidays, we preferred to travel to neighboring nations or cities instead of staying in the dormitory. Together, we have probably visited 11 countries, with experiences ranging from listening to traditional songs in Warsaw's Old Town Square to learning history in Berlin's Jewish Museum, feeling brave on an early morning flight to Italy, being repeatedly amazed by the beauty of Swiss Alps, meandering through the world-renowned paintings in the Louvre Museum in Paris, walking down the cobbled streets of Rome, enjoying the wind from Norwegian-Danish ferries, and imagining the former splendor of the Habsburg Empire. Through these journeys, I have witnessed the diversity of the world and gained deeper insights into myself. In front of different cultures, landscapes, and people, I felt humble while also realizing the vastness of my inner self. Every trip has been a spiritual baptism and a journey of growth.
As I look back upon my time in Szczecin, those days spent in shuttling between German and Polish and exploring cultural differences have become my most cherished treasures. The city taught me that authentic linguistic competence is not only mastering grammar and vocabulary, but also possessing courage and wisdom to bridge the cultural divide, especially in this era of globalization. Szczecin, the city located along the German-Polish border, opened a portal to the world for me in its unique manner.”
Yao Keyu, BA(German) Candidate, Class of 2022
